The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-06-26
IN OLD KENTUCKY.
A Description of One of Its Old
Fashioned Homesteads.

The homestead was of square, rough
heWa blocks of granite, and had been
QUILT before the days of professional
architects by a former governor of the
state, who was stone mason in early
lie, and worked honestly at his trade
until the people called him into another
sphere OF action. The house was at
once thoroughly comfortable and
extremely inconVenient; additions had
been made to the main building at diff.
ferent times, with no idea of general
effect. From the broad front porch one
entered at once a large, high room,
which was parlor, library. and sitting
room all in one; and very attractive it
was with cheerful paper and carpet,
comfortable rocking-chairs and sofas,
and big open Fireplace with great
braSs-knobDed andirons. Opposite the
front door and leading to the back
porch was hall, from which a door
opened directly upon some steps lead
ing to what was called the "big up
stairs" This room, which was of neces-
sity entered head-foremost as one
assembled the stairs, took in the main
body OF the house, and held always
three double beds, with ample space for
as many more when the house was
| crowded. Two bedrooms opened from
| the parlor below, and frt III the back
| Que another flight of stairs aScended to
rooms above, known as the little up
STAIRS" The characteristic feature of
| the building was the entire lack of
communication between the two parts
of the upper floor. In the large room
over the parlor one might hear plainly
| the voices OF the occupants of an ad
Jacent room, but to reach them 1t was
necessary to descend one stairway,
traverse the whole length of the house
| and ascend another flight. Above the
| ''littie upstairs" was the attic: here
hung festoons of okra, red peppers,
| onions and garden herbs for seasoning
IN the corners were bags OF nuts and
punches of pop corn, and apples and
| peaches were spread on deal boards to
dry: there were bits of old harness, 8
ragged SIDE saddle that was TO be re
covered some day, shot-gu or two
and some hunting coats; and in 6
dark, shelving recess were some relic:
of the day when Uncle Doctor was 6
|
ian-some bones which Mr.. Venu!
would have classified as human war
iors." These were a source of infinite
terror to every child and negro ON the
place, and made visit to the attic after
dusk rerilOus expedition, necessitat T.
ing ample cOmpanionship- and subject
to sudden panics.
/ From the front bedroom down stair:
for it was impossible to go anywhere
about the house without passing through
! somebody's private apartment-thre'
or four steps led down to large porch
open only on two sides, and there sc
trellised and covered with vines that !
was the most delightful of summer din
ing-rooms. From this porch opene
capacious stOreTooms, and just around
the corner was the kitchen, large. dis
orderly often crowded, but clean in tht
main, and the source of most tooth
some and abundant fare. Atone corner
of the porch stood an iron-bound hogs.
head, which caught and stored the
rain water from the roof. We used tC
listen in . summer storm TO the rain
drops on the shingles, and hear them
gutter along through the tin spout down
to this old receptacle; ana when the
rain was over, when the fresh, sweet
earthly odor was abroad, and the sun
was hanging glistening jewels on every
flower and shrub, We would climb upon
the balustrade of the porch and peer
eagerly into the old hogshead, looking
for the real diamonds that the negroes
said were sometimes brought down bY
the rain. After breakfast there was
always a group of negroes about the
porch each one armed with tin cup or
plate, and waiting for the daily allow
anc of molasses, sugar and coffee to
| be given cut from the storeroom, hop
ing also for some special tidblt from the
remains of the meal.
Walks made of fat, irregular stones
led from the kitchen-door to various
points in the yard: to the lot where the
milking was done; to the smo6e-E ouse.
the duck pond and poultry yard, and
the line of orderly cabins known IS the
quarters;" to the garden, with its pic
turesque mingling of fruit and Vegeta-
bles and old-fashioned flowers; and to
the cisterns, to whose water the lime
stone rock gave the same tonic quality
that it imparts to the blue grass, max
ing this the finest grazing country in
the world. Near the garden was the
circular ice-house, most seductive
building, whose slanting roof begins two
feet above the ground, and was delight
fully messy and slippery. There We
would slide by the hour, and many
were the rents-not only in or clothes,
but in our small persons as well-whlch
were due 10. its ragged shingles and
bent nails. We knew also the delicious
GOODNESS and dimness of the interior on
a hot summer day, and enjoyed tossing
aside the damp straw and sawdust, and
dragging out the great crystal blocks
especially if there was ice-cream IN
iprospect.-Patty B. Semple in July At-
lantic.